Notable Cases collects representative work from Paul Cahill’s medical malpractice and civil litigation practice. The archive includes two kinds of posts: reported decisions in which Paul appeared as counsel, with the neutral citation where one exists and a link to the underlying judgment; and summaries of significant cases that resolved by settlement, presented in de-identified form where confidentiality obligations require it.
Settlements account for the substantial majority of medical malpractice cases in Ontario. Most matters that proceed to litigation are resolved without a contested judgment, often through structured negotiation, mediation, or pre-trial discussion. A case that settles is not less significant than one that goes to judgment; it is simply resolved through a different procedural path. Settlement summaries in this archive identify the clinical context, the alleged breaches of the standard of care, and the injuries sustained, while respecting confidential information about the parties.
The category serves several audiences. Prospective clients can see the range of matters Paul has handled and the kinds of outcomes obtained, both at trial and at settlement. Lawyers and judicial researchers can use the reported decisions as a reference for Paul’s appellate and trial work. Journalists writing about medical malpractice in Ontario can identify counsel of record on cases of interest.
Past results in litigation do not predict the outcome of future cases. Each medical malpractice claim turns on its own facts, on the available expert evidence, and on the specific procedural posture at the time of resolution. The matters in this archive are presented as a matter of record and as a representation of the kinds of cases the practice handles.
Paul Cahill settled a laboratory negligence claim where a failure to properly test tuberculosis susceptibilities led to vertebral collapse and spinal surgery.
Paul Cahill settled a surgical negligence claim where ankle fracture surgery proceeded before the patient’s anticoagulation was properly reversed.
Paul Cahill settled a wrongful death claim after hospital staff failed to connect oxygen tubing to a patient’s CPAP machine, leading to cardiac arrest.
Paul Cahill settled a medical malpractice claim involving permanent vestibular damage from unmonitored outpatient gentamicin therapy.
Paul Cahill settled a wrongful death claim involving a misplaced breathing tube and a delayed anesthesiology response in the emergency room.
Paul Cahill settled a surgical negligence claim arising from an aortic injury during a laparoscopic nephrectomy that caused spinal cord ischemia.
Paul Cahill’s trial victory in Ayana v Skin Klinic, 2009, established the standard of care for laser hair removal performed in an Ontario dermatology clinic.
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